James David Spaulding

6470559, Oct 29, 2002

Jul 25, 2001

09/911630

James R. Spaulding - Macomb MI
Olimpia Maria Hernandez - Birmingham MI
Bruce R. Koch - Goodrich MI

General Motors Corporation - Detroit MI

B21D 3500

294695, 29446, 29451, 29453, 29469

A method for installing a vehicle roof assembly. A structure is provided defining a roof opening in a vehicle. A headliner is provided having a first configuration larger than the roof opening and a free peripheral edge. Components are installed onto said headliner, and the headliner is secured to a roof panel for forming a roof assembly. The headliner is deformed to a second configuration for displacing the free peripheral edge, and a restraining device maintains the headliner in the second configuration. The roof assembly is installed onto the vehicle through the roof opening. The restraining device is removed and the free peripheral edge is attached to the vehicle for concealing the structure defining the roof opening.

6585287, Jul 1, 2003

Jan 3, 2002

10/037831

James R. Spaulding - Macomb MI
Olimpia Maria Hernandez - Birmingham MI
Bruce R Koch - Goodrich MI

General Motors Corporation - Detroit MI

B60R 2116

2807282, 2807302, 24458

A roof rail air bag assembly includes an air bag module having an air bag and an air bag inflator, and a hanger designed to attach the assembly to the roof rail of a vehicle. The installation of the roof rail air bag assembly is accomplished by an operator standing outside the vehicle, and without the use of external fasteners. A roof panel is attached to the vehicle roof rail to permanently fasten the hanger to the vehicle, while the air bag module can be easily removed for servicing.

6638075, Oct 28, 2003

Feb 27, 2002

10/083805

James R. Spaulding - Macomb MI, 48044
Joseph Bosy - Davisburg MI, 48350
Michael C. Heitmann - Shelby Township MI, 48315
James Arthur Cole - Sterling Heights MI, 48312

H01R 3300

439 34, 439917, 439886

A window system for a vehicle including a glass assembly, an electrical device coupled to the glass assembly, a conducting post electrically coupled to the electrical device, sheet metal in the vehicle forming an aperture in the vehicle for accepting the glass assembly, a locating tab located on the border of the aperture, where the conducting post couples to the locating tab to position the glass assembly within the aperture to create an electrical connection to an electrical system in the vehicle.

6805593, Oct 19, 2004

Dec 17, 2002

10/322026

James R. Spaulding - Macomb MI
Olimpia Maria Hernandez - Birmingham MI
Todd E. Durocher - Warren MI
Craig Rodriguez - Rochester Hills MI
Bernard W. Stone - Detroit MI

General Motors Corporation - Detroit MI

H01R 442

439764

A battery assembly for a vehicle includes a battery with a post extending therefrom. A terminal is connected to the post, and a blade extends from the terminal. A battery cable includes an attached connector. The connector is configured to receive the blade in a snap-in relationship. The blade includes a protrusion thereon, and the connector includes a spring member configured to provide sufficient normal force on the blade to force the blade against a wall of the connector to provide a reliable electrical contact. The spring member abuts the protrusion to secure the blade in the connector.

6857914, Feb 22, 2005

Jan 30, 2004

10/768299

James R. Spaulding - Macomb MI, US
Todd E. Durocher - Warren MI, US
Craig Rodriguez - Rochester Hills MI, US

General Motors Corporation - Detroit MI

H01R004/48

439759

An apparatus for attaching an electrical cable to and making an electrical connection with a mounting post on a vehicle battery includes a base portion having an aperture extending through a first end and a second end thereof. The first end of the base portion is placed over the mounting post. An insert is received in the second end of base portion. A spring is received in the base portion and a cap having an open end sized to be placed over the base portion compresses the spring. At least one stop member is attached to the base portion. The stop member interacts with the cap to lock the cap in position with respect to the base portion when the spring is compressed, maintaining compression on the spring and the insert to ensure an electrical connection between the insert and the mounting post.

6865795, Mar 15, 2005

Apr 19, 2002

10/126767

Olimpia Maria Hernandez - Birmingham MI, US
James R. Spaulding - Macomb MI, US

General Motors Corporation - Detroit MI

B23P021/00
B60J007/11

29469, 296214, 296218, 296210

A method of assembling a roof assembly into a vehicle includes assembling the roof assembly and at least one module subassembly. The roof assembly includes a roof outer panel configured to cover a roof opening in the vehicle. The roof assembly and the module subassemblies are installed by operators working entirely outside the vehicle, resulting in increased efficiency and production cost savings.

7234888, Jun 26, 2007

Apr 20, 2004

10/827753

James R. Spaulding - Macomb MI, US
Todd E. Durocher - Warren MI, US
Bernard W. Stone - Detroit MI, US
Michael J. Kelley - Rochester Hills MI, US

General Motors Corporation - Detroit MI

B25G 3/36

403388, 403299, 411389, 24297, 16412

An item such as a passenger assist handle is anchored to an automotive framing component by a mounting stud passing through a hole in the framing component. The mounting stud includes a shaft with a helix at a first end and a threaded portion at a second end. The helix and threaded portion are of opposite hands and the threaded portion receives a stop nut thereon. The automotive framing component has a teardrop shaped opening therethrough having a first diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the shaft and a second diameter substantially equal to the radius of the helix. Upon threading the nut onto the shaft, while the stud is held initially stationary by frictional engagement between its surface and surfaces of the framing component adjacent to the teardrop shaped opening, the stop nut bottoms against a shoulder on the shaft and then begins rotating the shaft to drive the helix through the teardrop shaped opening. The stop nut then engages the base portion and urges the base portion of the item into a tight relationship with the faming component. Preferably, the mounting stud is made of an acetal homopolymer.

7471892, Dec 30, 2008

Sep 13, 2005

11/225281

James R. Spaulding - Macomb MI, US
Richard A. Knoth - Lake Orion MI, US
Nidamaluri S. Nagesh - West Bloomfield MI, US
Tony J. Deschutter - St. Clair Shores MI, US

GM Global Technology Operations, Inc. - Detroit MI

G03B 17/48

396429, 76 1, 81 5713

A hand tool has two digital video cameras mounted thereon adjacent to a working end of the tool for viewing a work site, which video cameras are connected to a pair of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) mounted on the tool proximate a control end of the tool. The hand tool includes a barrel with a handle at the control end and a control operator for activating the tool, wherein the control operator is in operative relationship with the handle and wherein the working end of the tool is positioned at the end of the barrel opposite the control end of the tool. In an illustrated example, the cameras and LCDs are mounted on a pneumatic nut runner with a T-head tool drive.